| Flash
Gordon Conquers Universal
Pictures: The
3rd Serial |
| Ch.
2: The Ice Queen of Mongo Warms Up To Flash Gordon |
|
Queen
Fria was Alex Raymond's last femme fatale before World War II. | As
Prince Barin's new ally and guest of honor, Fria is dressed
to the Nordic Nines, and played
by Luli Deste (Luli von Hohenberg) in the serial . |
|
Raymond's
Frigian monarch
was just plain HOT, despite her frozen realm.
Dale's
justifiable jealousy was a recurrent theme in the Ice Kingdom adventure.
|
Flash Gordon's kiss on Queen Fria's hand may be SO continental ... |
|
But
Dale Arden doesn't like it ONE BIT. Beautiful Carol Hughes' jealous double-take
repeats itself again and again in the movie serial. |
Dale and Fria did a pathetic triangle with an oblivious Flash in the papers. |
|
Ronal
is a character from the past, who isn't in any previous movie, as if Hollywood
relies on its audience knowing Flash
Gordon's Sunday adventures. |
Ronal had a ridiculously unrequited crush on Dale Arden in the strip. |
|
Frigia
was the scene of Flash Gordon throughout 1939 in the Sunday pages. | Queen
Fria and Prince Barin are plotting against Emperor Ming in 1940, when Zarkov,
Dale, and Flash join them to halt the Purple Death plague.
|
|
Count
Korro and Capt. Lupi were also featured in the comic strip, but as secret enemies
of Flash. | Korro
(L) makes a daring raid with his allies on Ming's citadel to rescue General Lupi
(R) from execution by Purple Death Dust. |
|
The
filmmakers at Universal Pictures in 1940 sometimes borrowed ideas from 1934, the
earliest days of Alex Raymond's comic strip. | Flash
needs rescuing in the first cliff hanger Uh -- pipe hanger between episodes. |
|
The
raiders all survive, but Queen Fria exits the serial at the start of Chapter 2,
to Dale's smug delight. The Earthlings lead an expedition to the wilds of Frigia. | Fria
always led HER soldiers through HER domains in the Sundays. |
| |
